Still good advice

A parent bought this for me as a 'Thank You' present for teaching her boy in Y4, and I fell in love with it straight away. Such cool advice for a teacher sometimes (I know all you cool teachers out there know that!). It is now my signature mug for a cuppa during morning break.

However, over the last week it had come to mind a few times for other reasons...

Firstly, the irony! It was created by a government to ensure people get through incredibly difficult times where a lower national morale could have been a tipping point. For me, it's a motto that keeps my morale up as I am put through difficult times by the government! The day after they were voted in, they started to remove all the current strategies for core subjects from the relevant web sites. They are now housed on a poorly linked archive that is a chore to use, and not all the info is even there. Regardless of any attitudes towards the actual content itself, at least it was something. The government's official strategy page contains
NO GUIDANCE TO TEACH THE CORE SUBJECTS, but there is a note to say that a yet-to-be-decided curriculum will be available for September 2013. I mean come on!!!!!

The cynic in me thinks this delay will have an impact on children's learning, and therefore well-being and success, and that will be used as ammunition to restructure the education system in their own (financial) interests. I don't even want to start all the tax-evading corporations interests versus the treatment of individuals who serve society by working in the public interest.

I'll stop now!

Secondly, I saw a news report where the phrase "Keep Calm and Carry On" has been trademarked by a guy who has been producing goods with it on for the last four years. He is hacked off that other people are doing it to and so is doing his best to get their goods taken off eBay and similar sites. This does not sit well with me at all, it is not his phrase to trademark. He accuses them of taking his idea to make money from it.....er, take a look in the mirror mate. I appreciate it's his business and livelihood, but it is not his original idea so I think it should be fair game to use really. Make better products at decent prices and let the customer base decide.

Ah well....Keep Calm and Carry On